|
We may treat of the Soul as in the body- whether it be set
above it or actually within it- since the association of the two
constitutes the one thing called the living organism, the
Animate.
Now from this relation, from the Soul using the body as an
instrument, it does not follow that the Soul must share the
body's experiences: a man does not himself feel all the
experiences of the tools with which he is working.
It may be objected that the Soul must however, have
Sense-Perception since its use of its instrument must acquaint it
with the external conditions, and such knowledge comes by way of
sense. Thus, it will be argued, the eyes are the instrument of
seeing, and seeing may bring distress to the soul: hence the Soul
may feel sorrow and pain and every other affection that belongs
to the body; and from this again will spring desire, the Soul
seeking the mending of its instrument.
But, we ask, how, possibly, can these affections pass from body
to Soul? Body may communicate qualities or conditions to another
body: but- body to Soul? Something happens to A; does that make
it happen to B? As long as we have agent and instrument, there
are two distinct entities; if the Soul uses the body it is
separate from it.
But apart from the philosophical separation how does Soul stand
to body?
Clearly there is a combination. And for this several modes are
possible. There might be a complete coalescence: Soul might be
interwoven through the body: or it might be an Ideal-Form
detached or an Ideal-Form in governing contact like a pilot: or
there might be part of the Soul detached and another part in
contact, the disjoined part being the agent or user, the
conjoined part ranking with the instrument or thing used.
In this last case it will be the double task of philosophy to
direct this lower Soul towards the higher, the agent, and except
in so far as the conjunction is absolutely necessary, to sever
the agent from the instrument, the body, so that it need not
forever have its Act upon or through this inferior.
|
|